Smart thermostat control system

• US 10,177,930 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Bodkin, Joseph George, Cronin, John Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Ojha, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US15/062,639
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/026 using a predictor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

Information regarding a user'"'"'s personal schedule is received at an electronic computing device. Information regarding current and future utility costs is received. The information regarding the user'"'"'s personal schedule, the information regarding the user'"'"'s location and the information regarding the current and future utility costs is used to determine at least one financial impact based on a temperature setting. The at least one financial impact includes estimated costs for time intervals and historical billing cycles. A temperature effecting device or an energy effecting device in the home of the user is controlled using the at least one financial impact.

Claims

1. A method implemented on an electronic computing device for controlling a temperature of a home, the method comprising:

on the electronic computing device, receiving information regarding a user'"'"'s personal schedule;

receiving information regarding the user'"'"'s location;

receiving information regarding current and future utility costs;

using the information regarding the user'"'"'s personal schedule, the information regarding the user'"'"'s location and the information regarding the current and future utility costs to determine at least one financial impact based on a temperature setting, wherein the at least one financial impact includes estimated costs for time intervals and historical billing cycles;

controlling a temperature effecting device or an energy effecting device in the home of the user using the at least one financial impact; and

using the financial impact regarding billing cycles to determine a percentage usage for the temperature effecting device during peak hours and non-peak hours.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the financial impact regarding estimated costs for time intervals to determine a least costly time to adjust a temperature of the home.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature effecting devices are accessible to the electronic computing device over the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic computing device can adjust operation of a furnace, an air conditioner, a garage door, electric lights, window blinds, a washing machine, a dryer and a refrigerator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending data to a user device regarding energy usage for the home.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data regarding energy usage for the home includes an energy usage prediction for a current month and an adjustment to the energy usage prediction for the current month, the adjustment to the energy usage prediction being based on current and future weather conditions and the user'"'"'s personal schedule.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from a user device one or more selections of the permissible temperature effecting devices to use when controlling the temperature of the home.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a time of a day at which the temperature of the home is to be adjusted;

determining whether the time of the day is a peak hour for energy use;

determining a temperature effecting device to use;

determining a percent of time that the temperature effecting device can be run during the time of the day corresponding to the peak hour; and

activating the temperature effecting device only for the percent of time that the temperature effecting device can be run during the time of the day corresponding to the peak hour.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a status of fuel in a fuel tank for the home, the status of the fuel representing a percentage of fuel remaining in the fuel tank; and

sending the status of the fuel to a user device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of days remaining before a fuel delivery needs to be scheduled;

determining estimated costs of fuel for the number of days; and

sending a request to the user device regarding scheduling a fuel delivery for the home, the request being to schedule the fuel delivery for a specific day and time within the number of days remaining when the estimated costs of fuel is lowest.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the user'"'"'s personal schedule and the user'"'"'s current location to determine a time at which the user will arrive home;

determining a time of a lowest energy cost between a current time and the time when the user will arrive home;

select a temperature effecting device to use; and

activate the temperature effecting device during the time of the lowest energy cost.

7. A method implemented on an electronic computing device for controlling a temperature of a home, the method comprising:

on the electronic computing device, receiving information regarding a user'"'"'s personal schedule;

receiving information regarding the user'"'"'s location;

receiving information regarding current and future utility costs;

using the information regarding the user'"'"'s personal schedule, the information regarding the user'"'"'s location and the information regarding the current and future utility costs to determine at least one financial impact based on a temperature setting, wherein the at least one financial impact includes estimated costs for time intervals and historical billing cycles;

controlling a temperature effecting device or an energy effecting device in the home of the user using the at least one financial impact; and

sending data to a user device regarding energy options for the electronic computing device, wherein the energy options include a combination of avoiding peak hours, using a user location, using connected devices and using weather data.

13. A smart thermostat, comprising:

a processing unit; and

system memory, the system memory including instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the smart thermostat to;

receive information regarding a user'"'"'s personal schedule;

receive information regarding the user'"'"'s location;

receive information regarding current and future weather conditions;

receive information regarding current and future utility costs for the user;

use the information regarding the user'"'"'s personal schedule, the information regarding the user'"'"'s location, the information regarding the current and future weather conditions and the information regarding the current and future utility costs to control one or more temperature effecting devices for the user;

determine a number of days remaining before a fuel delivery needs to be scheduled;

determine estimated costs of fuel for the number of days; and

send a request to the user device regarding scheduling a fuel delivery for the home, the request being to schedule the fuel delivery for a specific day and time within the number of days remaining when the estimated costs of fuel is lowest.

14. The smart thermostat of claim 13, wherein the smart thermostat can control operation of a furnace, an air conditioner, a garage door, electric lights, windows, a washing machine, a dryer and a refrigerator.

15. The smart thermostat of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the smart thermostat to determine a lowest cost of energy during a time in which a temperature of the home is to be adjusted and to heat or cool the home at a time of the lowest cost of energy.

16. The smart thermostat of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the smart thermostat to:

obtain a current temperature inside the home;

use the user'"'"'s personal schedule and the user'"'"'s location to determine when the user will arrive home;

determine a preferred temperature for the home based on when the user will arrive home;

calculate a deviation between the current temperature inside the home and the preferred temperature for the home;

based on the temperature deviation, select a temperature effecting device to heat or cool the home; and

use the temperature effecting device to adjust the temperature of the home to the preferred temperature.